While a bulk of Cleveland City Council's changes to Mayor Justin Bibb's recent parking overhaul focused on Downtown, members voted Monday to also roll back rates and enforcement in other neighborhoods just months after implementing them.
But not all council members think the "one size fits all" approach works across neighborhoods.
"Parking on West 25th Street is different than parking on 48th and Lorain," said Councilmember Austin Davis at a Monday committee meeting. "They should be treated differently: different prices at different times. I don't know why we're acting like they're the same."
Davis represents Ohio City, which is home to the West Side Market and a bustling retail and restaurant corridor on West 25th Street. He said eliminating Saturday enforcement, which was implemented in the neighborhood earlier this year in tandem with Downtown parking changes, will harm the businesses and residents in his neighborhood.
"Saturdays are when it's the most crazy. In Ohio City, it's when you get the most tourists, the most party goers, it the most hectic," Davis said. "People looking for parking swirl all around the neighborhood and do loops and park in residential side streets because they can't find a spot where it would be convenient because those spots have been taken up by somebody who's been parking there indefinitely the last 36 hours."
The city began charging for Saturday parking in Ohio City earlier this year to increase parking spot turnover, a move some business owners applauded.
"You want those spaces to churn," Sam McNulty, who owns Market Garden Brewery and six other restaurants, bars and dance clubs in Ohio City, told 精东影业 in February. "If it's free, people can just leave their car indefinitely and essentially squat in those spaces and render them inaccessible."
Those changes were in addition to expanded Downtown enforcement and dynamic pricing that began in January. Not all neighborhoods were affected; Cleveland started rollout on the near West Side with plans to expand to other parts of the city.
After backlash from the public, council voted to roll back some of the mayor鈥檚 new parking policies by reducing neighborhood parking rates to $1 per hour up to eight hours. After eight hours, parking costs $3 per hour with no time limit.
Council's changes also include lowering the hourly rate for Downtown parking, eliminating Sunday enforcement and establishing special event zones. It also requires cash and coin payment options in addition to the ParkMobile app option.
The legislation requires council approval for any new parking districts.
Davis voted against the legislation.
Council President Blaine Griffin said council will reassess neighborhood and residential parking changes later this year.
